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http://www.slideroll.com/slideshows/members/khines/

What is Pure Volume?

According to their home page, “Pure Volume is a website for the discovery and promotion of up and coming artists and musicians. Each artist has a profile that typically contains basic info, updates, photos, shows and music for streaming. Artists have the option of making each of their songs available for free download. Listeners and fans can also create profiles to interact with artists and each other, as well as track and share music they like.”

Pure Volume allows for users browse according to artist, genre, or location. They can also post and comment on forums pertaining to different genres of music, culture, entertainment, musicians, gossip, fashion, and more. They can even check for bands on tour in their area as well as check out recent and featured albums.

Pure Volume has been widely acknowledged as the leading social music site since its launch in 2003 and has received a lot of positive feedback in newspapers such as The Wall Street Journal, Chicago Tribune, L.A. Times, New York Times, Newsweek, and more. This site also made its name known at top music festivals around The United States, including College Music Journal’s Annual Festival in NYC and South by Southwest. It has sponsored many tours such as Rockstar Energy Drink’s Taste of Chaos, the Take Action Tour, and Vans Warped Tour. Pure Volume has also partnered with companies to promote new music such as Hot Topic, Vans, M-Audio, and The John Lennon Foundation.

What is Sonicbids?

Sonicbids is a similar Web site that helps bands get gigs, but this site connects the bands to promoters to help them get booked. It includes over 150,000 bands, singers, songwriters, and performers of all kinds, and 14,000-plus music buyers of all kinds, including promoters, licensors, festival programmers, and so much more. Bands come here for gigs; promoters come here for bands. We have lots of both. Simply put, we want Sonicbids to be the common “language” that people who make music, and people who book music, use to connect and interact with one another – no matter who they are, where they work, or what passport they carry.

Sonicbids has sponsors from BMI, Disc Makers, and Oasis CD Manufacturing, and partners with companies such as College Music Journal, The Hard Rock Café, Musikfest, National Association for campus Activities, and National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences.

The team at Sonicbids works to connect musicians to promoters to help showcase good music. It is clearly stated in their mission:

“We want to help musicians get gigs, and promoters book the right bands. We’re a bunch of people who think that music can truly change the world and make it smaller and better. We believe that music should flow freely (but not necessarily be free), universally and without gatekeepers. We believe that independent music belongs everywhere: on festival stages; in video game consoles; on film screens; in college theaters; on the radio; in advertisements; on club stages and at sporting events. That’s the world we see. That’s the world we’re busy creating.”

 

 

 

Who Created Sonicbids?

Sonicbids was the brainchild of Panos Panay. He came to the U.S. from Greece in 1991 to attend Berklee College of Music but later made the choice to study Music Business. After college Panay became an agent for Pat Metheny, Chick Corea, and Al DiMeola for seven years.“It was a real blast,” he says on the website, “and I learned early on the value of doing something that you love.”

Here’s a video of him that comes from a clip from a DVD entitled “What is INDIE?”

 

The “eureka” moment, as he calls it, came when he got frustrated with the fact that he was not able to go through the plethora of press kits from musicians who wanted to get booked my him, and how expensive it got mailing out press kits. “All along I kept thinking that there had to be a better way for musicians and promoters to connect with each other than bulky and expensive mail-in press kits.” He then figured that it would be easier to use the Internet to connect musicians and promoters for booking information.

“So a few months later I quit my job, reconfigured my apartment into a home office and spent the next year burning through my entire life savings, maxing out my credit cards, talking non stop about my “idea”, and putting together, bit by bit, the plan and foundation for what would be Sonicbids.”

 

 

 

I Think Everyone Knows About MySpace

MySpace was originally just an online community that connected people from all over. Among other applications for filmmakers and comedians, it has been a place for famous and local bands to get their name out there. MySpace Music is the source for both mainstream and alternative music. People now have the chance to create playlists and download songs from many artists. MySpace recently teamed up with Universal, BMG, and Warner Music Group to compete against iTunes.

Aside from the United States, MySpace is available to people in many countries of Europe, Canada, Latin America, and Asia Pacific.

For two years now MySpace has had a little music label known as MySpace Records. It showcases their favorite artists. Their top favorites right now are Katie Voegele, Mateo, Meiko, Christina Milian, Pennywise, and Sherwood, to name a few.

It is easy for bands, musicians, promoters, and everyday listeners to sign up for Pure Volume, Sonic Bids, and MySpace. If you want your music to be heard:

Musicians and artists click here for Sonicbids

Promoters click here for Sonicbids

Colleges and universities click here for Sonicbids

Labels and agencies click here for Sonicbids

Listeners click here for Pure Volume

Artists click here for Pure Volume

Musicians click here for MySpace

Check out the video I made about the New Haven-based alternative rock band, The Smyrk, about what they use when it comes to booking shows. Also be sure to fill out those polls when you have the chance!

Click to see the video

You can check out The Smyrk on www.myspace.com/thesmyrk and www.purevolume.com/thesmyrk.

 

Check out this site that has a list of record labels in Connecticut. Helpful for any bands/artists in CT who are looking for a label that matches their style.

Band press kits are what all bands or musicians need to get promotions, gigs, and booking agents. They are sometimes known as media kits or artist bios and are taken to potential venues in hopes of being booked. Here is a step-by-step guide as to how to make this happen

1.      Make a press kit cover page. This should include the name of your band, logo, what type of music you play. Also include contact information (band name, address, email, phone number, band website, and any other information possible).

 

2.      Create an Artist Bio page. This serves as an introduction to your band. State what genre of music is played, introduce your band members, the types of gigs you’ve played and where you’ve played them. Include specific information about the band, such as if you have a fan base (if you don’t have a fan base, open mic nights are a great way for people to hear your music. Besides, venues can’t fill themselves up!), or if you have people who lights or sound for live performances (if not the venue will most likely provide one).

 

3.      Get some band photos. To make your press kit pop, you need some professional 8×10 photos of your band. If you can’t get professional ones, have someone take really kick-ass pictures of your band and blow them up 8×10. You’re more likely to get booked if you put faces to the music.

 

4.      Make an Equipment Page. These are all the people who help with the technical issues. Include the type of equipment your band uses, if you have your own microphones, mic stands, etc., if you have sound and light guys, and if you have a PA system and someone run. These things can be provided by the venue but it looks better (and more professional on your part) if you have all of this.

 

5.      Booking Information. PUT THIS EVERYWHERE IN YOUR PRESS PACKAGE! This includes contact names, phone numbers, email, fax number, band website. It makes it easier for venues to find it quickly.

 

6.      Make a Demo CD. You can make a tape but do people listen to those anymore? Three to four songs will do and include song titles and booking information. You can also use a flash drive but that is more for record companies. For local venues, a CD is fine.

 

7.      Have a Song List and gig sheet. List some of the songs your band has performed. This includes cover songs as well as original music. The gig sheet just states where you have performed and where you plan on performing in the future.

 

8.      Newspaper clippings. If your band or music has been reviewed or featured in newspapers, put them in your press kit. Bands starting out may not have this yet so don’t be afraid to ask local papers, or if you’re a college band, the school paper, to cover a show. Clippings are fine but if you can find the article online and print it out, do that for a more professional touch.

 

9.      Business Cards. You can do this on any word processing programs that offer business card templates (Word, Publisher, etc.) Include the band name, email address, phone number, and the name of who to contact. Throw in some cool graphics if you can.

 

10.  BE CREATIVE! Show a sense of individuality when making your press kit. No one will want to look through a press kit that looks like a class paper. Experiment with colors, graphics, fonts, and have fun with it. It reflects who your band is and if your press kit looks boring, venues will think you’re boring.

Here are some local places in the New Haven area you can check out:

Toads Place

Sidestreet

The Space

Webster Theatre

Eli’s on Whitney

Here are their upcoming events from their MySpace:

Oct 21 2008 9:30P	The Rat	Hamden, Connecticut
Nov 1 2008 4:00P	Webster Underground	Hartford, Connecticut
Nov 14 2008 7:00P	The Space	Hamden, Connecticut
Nov 15 2008 8:00P	Side Street Bar & Grille with STALEMATE	Hamden, Connecticut

They are an original rock band from New London, Conn. and when I say original, I mean ORIGINAL. Their style of music blends rock, jazz, progressive, reggae, latin, world, and if there’s more I’ve probably never heard of them, but it really does sound good. The members are all people who have played for over twenty years in bands of their own. Their musical inspiration comes from artists like the Beatles, James Brown, BB King, and Zappa.

Some of the venues they’ve played include The Space in Hamden, Toads in New Haven, and Webster Theatre in Hartford.

The members: Max Browning (bass), Steve Cleary (guitar), Chris Pike (keys), Darren McGill (drums), and Ted Phillips (banjo).

For years Myspace has been the source for major as well as up-and-coming musicians to promote their songs and albums. In April, social networking site Myspace joined with Universal Music Group, Warner Music Group, and BMG Music Entertainment to compete with Apple Itunes Store. EMI Music was the last group to sign on, and only did so hours before its launch. The equity stakes the labels take will be based on the size of their company, meaning Universal will have the largest stake while EMI will have the smallest. According to CIO Today, the purpose of Myspace Music is to “win fans with a mix of unlimited free music, comprehensive music catalogs, concert tickets, merchandising and other entertainment features”. Myspace music is also responsible for bringing The Orchard, which is a distributor of independent music from smaller labels.

iTunes has become like a musical powerhouse, because ever since its creation, ChannelWeb reported that over 4 billion songs have been downloaded which makes it the largest music retailer and this has added stress to many music labels since CD sales are rapidly declining. Myspace has also signed major deals with advertisers like Toyota, State Farm Insurance and McDonalds in hopes that music labels will once again make a profit from the music purchased. CIO Today also reports that the music labels are ”eager to benefit from the diversified revenue promised by MySpace Music — making money from premium advertising, music download sales via Amazon.com, ringtones and eventually concert tickets and merchandising”.

Other companies have also followed in Myspace’s footsteps in a quest to compete with Apple iPods and iTunes. Verizon Wireless has teamed up with Rhapsody to have music downloaded to mobile phones; SanDisk came out with a plan to sell albums on a USB sled known as slotMusic and last Wednesday, Sony Ericsson came out with Play Plus Now, which also enables people to download to their cell phones.

Nope, it’s not a band, although they have many of them playing there. The Space is actually a small music and arts venue in Hamden, Conn opened June 2003. It’s a non-alcoholic establishment (may or may not be a  good thing for some) so it’s great for people of all ages. They show bands, orchestras, art displays, and independent film, to name a few. Click here to see the events for September.

The Space|295 Treadwell St|Building H|Hamden, CT 06514

Johnny 9 and the Racers are a band from Cheshire, Conn. that formed over five years ago. The band members are Davey J (vocals and guitar), Billy Holland (drums), Griffin O’Connor (bass), Sam Kaplowitz (tenor sax and vocals), Jeff Turner (trumpet), and Brian Sherman (trombone).

Their music has a ska/pop/punk feel to it with inspirations from Elvis Costello, The Specials, and The Descendants. They came out with an album titled “Open Up Your Ears” in April 2006 and will soon release their second album “Chin Up” later this year. They were even ranked by TopsInAmerica.com as one of the ”Top Ten Bands to See in Connecticut”. 

I’ve never really listed to ska music all that much, except some early No Doubt stuff (reunion please, thanks), but seriously, you can’t help but smile when you listen to their songs because it puts you in a good mood and make you want to bob your head a bit…at least that what it does to me. Check out their myspace and website and, if you really, really love them, email them at j9booking@yahoo.com if you want to book them for an event.

So get this. I emailed Trey Morgan of KC101.3 and asked him to send me his ten favorite songs and why he chose them. Maybe this could be a weekly thing so if you would like to know what your favorite radio DJ listens to, feel free to comment. But if not, I’ll just choose random ones…haha

 

Trey’s 10 favorite songs:

 

 

Norah Jones – Don’t Know Why:  Norah Jones and I actually went to high school together but I never knew her.  It wasn’t until years later that I found out about our connection.  I truly enjoy every song she has sung but this one is special.  From the 1st note, I am transported from wherever I am to a soulful escape, free of the stresses and worries that bind me.

 

Ben Harper – Forever:  Everyone can identify with a love they hope lasts forever and he truly captures that emotion in this song.  I love Ben Harper’s use of metaphors and simile with lyrics like; “Like a handless clock with numbers on an infinite of time.”  He really shows what “forever” is.

 

Michael Buble’ – Home:  He is a Canadian crooner, think Sinatra or Harry Connick Jr.  Buble’ sing of his longing for the one he loves who is waiting for him at home while he travels the world living his dream. 

 

Death Cab For Cutie – I Will Possess Your Heart:  Have you ever heard a cooler song?  The 45 seconds of instrumental really allows the listener to appreciate the music.  Then when singer does finally begin you are so anxious as to what he has to say, you end up hanging on every word.  He loves her!  She doesn’t see the potential of a relationship with him, but she will.  He loves her and it seems as though, he always will.

 

Jack Johnson – Flake:  I first heard of Jack Johnson when I went to a Ben Harper show and was treated by the tall guy in flip flops who opened the show.  He sang all of the melodic songs that sort of push against you like a cool ocean breeze.  Tilt your head back close your eyes and soak it in.

 

Lupe Fiasco – Kick Push:  A rapper who raps about real life?  Not the kind of “real life” that deals with drugs, money and guns but the the kind of “real life” that deals with love and growing up.  Kick Push is about a kid or as he puts it, “a rebel looking for a place to be”, who wants to skate but can’t. While searching for a place to skate he falls in love, makes friends and relishes the freedom of being on his board.

 

M.I.A. – Paper Planes:  This one is a new song and it may not be in my Top 10 in a month but for now, it is.  M.I.A. is a female Sri Lankan rapper who shows just how tough she by using word like “bonafide hustler” and “clocking’ game”.  The beat is dope and her voice is strongly appealing.

 

Kenny Chesney -  Don’t Blink:  This is a song about how fast life can pass you by.  Before you know it, you look back and wonder “what happened?”  This song reminds me to take a minute and remember what I have, not what I don’t.

 

Usher – Yeah:  My all-time favorite dance/party song.  I don’t know what it is but I never get tired of it. 

 

Etta James – Al Last:  Did you know she was booed of stage in her first appearance at the Apollo Theater?  Despite that disappointment, she went on to sing one of the great love songs of all time.  “At last my love has come along.”  Those words alone show just how powerful her love is. 

 

Other honorable mentions include:

 

Sam Cooke – A Change Is Gonna Come

 

George Strait – Amarillo By Morning

 

Bee Gee – Stayin’ Alive